The make up after ch 269
by Besma0003
Summary: Ren called Kyoko over for dinner to make up after their huge fight during the day. But will he be able to with Kyoko determined to ignore him?
1. Chapter 1

_How did I end up here? _Kyoko thought to herself as she stirred the pot in Ren's apartment. The girls at work had said the best thing to do after a fight was to let it settle for a couple days. It had been her every intent to ignore Ren for a couple of days. But then he had sent that message demanding she make him dinner. There was no way out of it, he was her Senpai after all. So now here she was, making dinner in an awkward atmosphere.

The curry was done. She couldn't avoid Ren any longer. She brought the food out to the table for him to eat. She'd made him dinner. She could go home now and escape this atmosphere. Plus, they still needed a few days for feelings to calm down as her relationship expert coworkers had mentioned.

"Mogami-san, aren't you going to eat with me? You made a lot of food, you know I can't eat this all by myself."

Kyoko sighed and sat down. She grabbed herself a bowl of curry and started eating.

* * *

_Crap. This isn't going very well. I need to just come out and say it. _Ren had invited her over to apologize. But she'd been icy since she'd arrived and was trying to ignore him.

"Mogami-san, I want to apologize for today. I said some things I didn't mean and was out of line with what I was saying.

* * *

_Did he just apologize?! I thought I needed to wait a few days for things to blow over. _Kyoko was glad to hear the apology but needed to say her own.

"I didn't mean to say everything that I did either. All I really wanted to say was don't assume things. I don't have that kind of relationship with Sho… It feels more like I'm his mom or nanny. That time I spent with him before he threw me out like yesterday's trash was miserable. I did everything for him but none of it mattered. There is nothing there for me to feel feelings for him again."

Ren felt like a total idiot. _She feels like his nanny? _That would explain the friendly atmosphere. And no one could blame her for getting mad at his assumptions. The accusations he had thrown at her were out of line.

"I'm sorry for assuming things, and for what I said. Next time, I'll ask you about it instead of assume. But in return," his face got serious, "you have to tell me whenever he bothers you. That way there will be no mixups like today. I won't have reason to assume if I already know the story."

* * *

_What a simple answer! _Ren won't be mad at her if he knows ahead of time that the punk is making unreasonable requests. Things that she can't avoid.

She'd rather not have anything to do with Sho. But if he's going to show up, it's best for it to not cause Ren to get mad at her.

* * *

Since Kyoko had made dinner, Ren cleaned up. He was thankful they had cleared the air between them. To think she ended up defending Fuwa because she was furious at him for making assumptions. _I really need to learn to control my temper. _He felt there was still some things going on he didn't understand, but he could worry about that later. For now, he was just happy to be on amicable terms again.

With the dishes done, he walked back into the living room to find Kyoko passed out. It had been a long day filled with emotions. He walked over to wake her up so he could take her home. He stopped just before grabbing her shoulder and walked over to the phone instead.

"Hello, this is Ren Tsuruga-san. I was calling to let you know that Mogami-san fell asleep at the office and is sleeping in the lounge. We've decided to let her sleep there instead of disturbing her. It was a very busy day and she's tired. I'll leave a note for her when she wakes up to call you right away and check in. Have a good night."

_Thank God it was the missus who picked up. I don't know how I would have handled her husband. He glares at me every time he sees me. Sometimes, I wonder if he's former Yakuza with that death glare that he gives me._

Now that the phone call had been taken care of, it was time to put Kyoko to bed. He didn't want to wake her because he didn't want to see her leave. They had such a huge fight earlier in the day but had managed to make up. He couldn't bare to part with her with his feelings so raw. He wanted her close by.

He walked over and picked her up. She stirred a little as he lifted her and mumbled something. Chuckling to himself, he whispered to her, "talking in your sleep?"

"I love you, Tsuruga-san."

.

..

…

….

Ren's mind recovered after a few seconds, but he was still shocked frozen. Did those words really just come out of her mouth? Thank God he didn't drop her in his shock, but he was afraid if he tried walking he would miss a step causing them both to fall.

_When?….How?…..What? _Since when was she in love with him? He thought she only saw him as her senpai, someone to be respected but untouchable. Could he take what she said in her sleep to heart?

Ren didn't know what to think, but he felt confident in his ability to walk again and brought Kyoko to his room. He'd give her the bed and sleep on the couch. He set her down and tucked her in. He sat down next to her unable to leave her side just yet.

_Can I believe you? _His emotions couldn't handle any more surprises for the day. He didn't know what to think, but he knew what he wanted and that was Kyoko Mogami. He bent down and kissed her lips. He was only going to kiss her for a moment, but then he felt her hand on the side of his head. She was holding his head to her face and started to kiss back.

Ren was so floored he almost pulled away in shock. Shock quickly gave way to his overwhelming feelings for her as he felt her kissing him and he gave in to the moment.

He pulled away after a couple minutes to take a breather and to stop the situation before it progressed any further. s

"This is a good dream," Kyoko said sleepily looking up at him. Her eyes were only partly open and her mouth was in a thin, content smile. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as if to go back to sleep.

Ren's mental restraints fell apart and he kissed her again.

* * *

A good dream this was. Ren kissing her. But it would only happen in her dreams. He would never do anything like this in real life.

Her skin tingled as his hand went from her cheek, down her shoulder, to her side, to around her back. He was holding her to him tightly and kissing her passionately. Having Ren all to herself like this was the perfect dream.

_But I can't have him all to myself. He isn't mine. He's Morizumi-san's._

It came as an utter shock to Ren when Kyoko pushed him back with all her might and said, "this is too cruel, even for a dream."

Another shock for the night. How could kissing him go from being a good dream to being too cruel? "Wh-what's cruel?" He managed to breathe out in his disbelief.

"You love Morizumi-san. You would never kiss me, especially like this." She was curled in a ball on her side now, hugging herself against the emotional pain she was feeling.

* * *

_Who's Morizumi-san? _Racking his brain Ren finally remembered who the name belonged to. _That annoying little snot? Why on earth would I ever love her? Her acting isn't horrible, but it's not great either. _Her personality sure was horrible. Why would Kyoko ever think he had feelings for her?

"Mogami-san," Ren reached for her arms to try to unroll her from her ball and get her to look at him. "Mogami-san, I don't love Morizumi-san. I don't know why you think I do, but I don't."

Her face was in tears which stabbed at his heart. "This is just a dream. My mind will have you say anything to trick me."

Before this conversation could go anywhere, she first had to know she wasn't dreaming. Unsure of what else to do, Ren cradled her face in his hands and kissed her again fiercely. As he pulled away he told her, "this isn't a dream. I really am kissing you…and…you've kissed me back."

Her eyes flew fully open in shock and her expression screamed "No Way!" She was frozen solid like that for a few seconds before she screamed, "Noooooooooo" and hid herself under her blanket.

He half expected that and was trying not to take it personally. "Mogami-san, would you please come out from under there so we can talk?"

"No way, you demon of the night. If I'm looking at you I'll loose myself to you again." She shrieked from under the blanket.

He liked the sound of that. Loosing herself to him. But he'd already lost himself to her a long time ago.

"Mogami-san, if you don't come out from under the covers I'll just join you under the blanket and we can talk there," he said while smirking.

Her bundle of blankets were still for a second before she came crawling out looking to the side. She wouldn't look him in the eyes.

_Well, that's a start. Let's talk about the easy thing first. _The discussion of them kissing could wait until after he found out why she thought he loved Morizumi-san.

"What's this about Morizumi-san? Why do you think I love her?

Pouting at being forced to come out of the blankets and talk she responded, "you gave her a ring as a gift. She says you love her and that you're in a relationship." Saying out loud that he loved someone else brought tears to her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall.

_That little shit. Since when are we in a relationship? That gift was obligatory._

"Mogami-san, I don't know what she told you, but her and I aren't in a relationship. We've worked together in the past, but I've never held feelings towards, at least not that kind. She doesn't take her acting seriously. She just wants to be the best without doing the work and doesn't appreciate her fans. I could never be in love with someone like that."

Kyoko's mind was processing what he said. It was true that Ren took acting very seriously and didn't like anyone who was cheap in their acting or wasn't trying their best. She'd been on the receiving end of his fury over such things. She knew it well.

"Wait a second, is this why you reacted that way when I gave you the flower ring?" The gift that he was expecting to get a cute reaction from but instead was called despicable. He had been in total shock from her reaction and didn't know what to think of it. But now it was starting to make sense.

"Well, yeah. It was so fairy tale like and you were acting like a prince and I was your princess," that had been his exact intent. He knew she had a soft spot for fairy tales and princesses.

"But acting like that when you have a girlfriend. Putting a flower ring on the same finger of mine that your girlfriend wears the ring you gave her on is despicable." Her face told him she was disgusted with him. And he could understand why **if** he was actually dating Morizumi-san. But he wasn't.

He moved a little closer to her, "Mogami-san, I am not, or ever have been, in a relationship with Morizumi-san. You have my word. Do you believe me?" She nodded a little sheepishly. "Good, now it's time to discuss the other matter at hand now that you know you're not dreaming and that I'm not in a relationship with anybody."

Her face flushed and she brought the blanket up to cover her face. "When I picked you up to bring you to bed, you said you loved me," he moved closer to her and grabbed her hands that were holding the blanket covering her face. "Then, you kissed me back," he pulled her hands down to see her face. She was looking away, avoiding his eyes. He grabbed her chin and turned her head towards his, their faces were inches away from each other. "You said it was a good dream." He looked into her eyes.

_Why is there fear in her eyes? If she loves me, kisses me back, and says it's a good dream, why does she look like her world is about to end?_

She ripped her face out of his hands and burst into tears in her own hands. Ren was absolutely dumbfounded. Something wasn't adding up.

"...but _*sob*_ I'm a good for nothing. _*sob*_ I was duped by my childhood friend and thrown away like yesterday's trash. _*sob*_ That happened because I fell in love. _*sob*_ And now I've turned that disgusting emotion towards you _*sob*_. I know you hate me for that _*sob*_. I've allowed myself to fall victim to this feeling again _*sob*_ and made you the receiver of it _*sob*_."

_What the? What kind of thinking is this?! Why would I hate her for loving me?! I just can't keep up with her thinking._

"Mogami-san, you could only kiss me back because I kissed you first. Or did you forget about that. Why do you think I kissed you?

"Because you're a playboy. Demon king of the night." Didn't even miss a beat in her response. _That stung a little_.

Ren sighed into his hand trying to figure out what to do with her. "You really think I'd kiss anyone like that?"

"Remember when you thanked me for giving you the gelatin? You kissed my cheek and said it was like a greeting, just a thank you. It didn't mean anything. You go around kissing people like it's no big deal." She was burrowing herself more under the blanket. Leaving just her head out so he couldn't threaten to join her under the blanket again.

_Crap. I dug my own whole on this one. _"Mogami-san, that was _*sigh*_ that was a lie. I kissed you because I was jealous. Fuwa had just kissed you and you couldn't stop thinking about it. I couldn't stand it. I wanted you to think of me instead. So I kissed you. But it worked too well. It interfered with your work. You weren't able to act. So I lied to undo the damage I had done."

She looked at him confused, "You were jealous? Why?"

_She won't understand unless I say it right out. Why is it so hard to say it? _He'd told countless women that he loved them back when he was dating in the states. The words would just roll right off the tongue. The words were so effortless. But to say them to Kyoko terrified him. There was a whole new meaning to the words that he had never felt with anyone else before.

He leaned towards her a little and cupped his hand around her face. "Mogami-san," He took a deep breath, "I love you and have for a very long time." Her eyes looked back at him lifeless. She was just sitting there frozen.

"Uh, Mogami-san? Hello?" He waved his hand in front of her face, no reaction. "Mogami-san, are you alright?" She was frozen solid. She wasn't reacting to anything. "…Kyoko-chan, can you hear me?" Finally, some life returned to her eyes and she slowly looked at him.

She quickly thrust him off the bed. She used her hands and feet. All the strength she had went into pushing him away. Ren landed with a loud thump on the floor, dazed, looking up at the ceiling. _What…just happened? _He looked over at her to see her in tears again. Not the sobbing of before thankfully. But tears were still streaming down her face.

"If you talk to me like that, using my name…I'll…I'll start to expect things." Ren grinned. _Expect things? This could be fun._

"What kind of things?" He asked as he got off the floor and made his way back to the bed. "If you expect things, does that mean I can expect things too… Kyoko-chan?" Her face was beat red and her eyes full of embarrassment.

* * *

_Fight Back! _Something deep within her said. It was the soul of Setsu. Ren was approaching her with his demon king of the night face. He was going to toy with her. _Fight Back! Setsu_ said again. She had her pride. She wasn't going to be toyed with.

* * *

Ren saw a sly smile spread across Kyoko's face. He had been debating on whether or not to kiss her. He wanted to, but she was in a fragile state and kissing her might scare her off. Seeing her smile, he didn't know what to think other than it was sexy.

"You want to expect things too?" She said with that smile. "Well, do you expect this?" She lunged at him throwing his back against the bed and landing on him kissing him.

Ren was utterly shocked at this turn of events. He had thought her in a fragile state. He didn't expect her to pounce. But he wasn't going to question it. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. It was like something from his wildest dreams. She was willingly in his arms and he was able to kiss her as much as he wanted…well, on the face.

He slid his hand up her shirt feeling her soft, silky back as she undid the buttons on his shirt. As she kissed his neck down to his chest he knew he had to put a stop to this. He was almost at a point of no return. Going all the way tonight was not a good idea.

With a moan of regret, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her off of him, sitting up himself. "Kyoko-chan, if we do anymore I won't be able to hold myself back anymore. You should sleep here and I'll go sleep on the couch." She nodded that she understood while blushing.

Ren left the room and closed the door behind him. He slouched onto the couch wondering how the situation had turned out like that. Not that he minded. But the last thing he had expected was for her to take the lead when the situation was like that.

But now, how was he supposed to sleep after a night like that?!

* * *

Kyoko didn't say a word as Ren left the room. She was completely shocked with herself. When she had jumped him, she was just trying to fight back. She didn't know she'd lose herself in feeling his body against hers with his lips against hers. She had stopped thinking and was just absorbing all the sensations.

She didn't argue when Ren had said they needed to stop. That he wasn't going to be able to control himself if they went any farther. Because the truth was, she'd already passed that point. She'd already lost control and who knows how far she would have gone if he wouldn't have stopped it.

She was blushing at how far she had gone and scared and excited at the same time wondering how far she would have gone.

But he'd left the room, forcing them apart, forcing them to cool down. But how was she supposed to calm down and sleep when all she could think about was his body and lips?!


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone! I'm glad you liked the first chapter. To be honest, it was supposed to be a oneshot. But a bunch of people followed the story making me feel like I needed to write more. I was able to come up with more inspiration in order to write another piece. I hope you like it as much as the first part!

* * *

Ren hadn't slept a wink all night. There was no getting the events of the evening out of his head. She had said she loved him, kissed him, and even jumped him. It was all so shocking and exhilarating. Especially that last bit. The memory of her pushing him down and greedily kissing him, even down his neck to his chest, made him ache with desire.

Yeah, there was no way he was going to sleep.

Some of the things she had said were confusing. _What makes love a disgusting feeling? Why would I hate it that she directs such an emotion at me? I know about her trauma with Fuwa. But that doesn't explain her warped thinking._

Ren sighed as he adjusted himself on the couch. He just didn't get it.

In truth, it was odd that he was on the couch and Kyoko in his bed. She could have slept in the guest bedroom, and he would have had his own bed. Or he could have gone to the guest bedroom after they parted in his room.

He hadn't exactly been thinking rationally the night before. He just wanted Kyoko with him last night. Having her in his bed, even if he wasn't in it, made him feel closer to her than if she was in the spare bed. And he didn't use it himself because he was struggling to walk with his swirling emotions and shock. He needed an easy location to just collapse. Plus, something told him he was going to need to be on the couch.

* * *

Kyoko was in shock for most of the night. Sleeping was impossible. She had kissed Ren, passionately kissed him. He even kissed her back including when she had pounced on him. In fact, he had seemed eager for her kisses and was happy to respond in kind. She shivered as she remembered the feeling of his hand on her bare back.

That was an entirely new experience. She had never been touched that way. Even when they had been acting as the Heel siblings things hadn't gone that far. But they had just been acting then. There wasn't the opportunity to get lost in emotions.

She was overwhelmed. She didn't know what to think or feel. She just wanted to escape. All she had done all night was roll around in bed thinking, sometimes stopping to enjoy the scent of Ren on the bedding. The scent had been relaxing enough that she had almost fallen asleep. But whenever she came close, memories of their lips pressed together would flood her mind and any chances of sleep were ended.

It was early morning now. Ren would be good and asleep in the guest bedroom. She wasn't really sure why she was in his bed in the first place. And he had said something about sleeping on the couch. But that was silly for him to do when there was another bed in the apartment. So no, he wouldn't be on the couch.

Kyoko got off the bed and prepared to leave the room. The door silently opened as she peeked around to make sure he was no where to be seen. The guest bedroom door was closed and the lights in the apartment were off. It was safe. She would be able to leave quietly without Ren knowing.

She tiptoed out of the room and closed the door gently behind her. Kyoko faced the door to leave and made a mad dash for it while also being as quiet as she could be. She was halfway there when she was passing the couch. She was going to make it out and get away from this confusing situation. Joy filled her knowing escape was within reach.

It was within reach until she felt an arm around her waist pulling her back.

* * *

Ren figured she would try to leave early without him knowing. It was part of the reason why he stayed on the couch. He had heard her stirring in the bedroom. Heard the door open and gently close. Heard her feet as she started running for the door.

She wasn't getting away from him that easy. As she passed the couch, he reached his arm out grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to him. Her back hit him with a lot of force. She had been running for the door and then he forcefully pulled her back. It was a lot of momentum to be hit with. He needed a second to catch his breath. Even so, he was stronger than her and was easily able to hold her to him as she scrambled trying to get free.

They had fallen back over the arm of the couch together. Kyoko was on top of him with her back to him. He had one arm around her waist as she struggled to get free. Catching his breath, he brought his other arm around her shoulders holding her against him tightly. "Kyoko-chan," he breathed into her ear.

* * *

She stilled instantly. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Both of Ren's arms were wrapped around her holding her to him. She was laying on top of him. Granted, she had laid on top of him before. But that had always been while acting...Well, except for the night before.

He had said her name into her ear, and she could feel his breath on her neck. The name she hadn't even let Corn use because her heart couldn't take him using Ren's face, voice, AND saying her name. And now the _real_ Ren was doing it. How on Earth was she going to get around having her heart burst? It was beating fast enough to. And it was beating faster with each passing moment.

Especially, when she felt more than just his breath on her neck but his lips.

* * *

Ren didn't really know what was going to happen with this situation. He just knew that having her in his arms after everything that had been said and done the previous night was intoxicating. He couldn't help but give her a gentle kiss as he held her smelling her hair.

She had stopped fighting him and was completely still in his arms. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. He didn't want to take too much of a chance and ruin all the progress they had made.

After a sigh, he relaxed his hold on her a bit so that they could sit up. She didn't seem capable of moving herself so he continued holding her to his chest and kept his arms wrapped around her. He slumped himself over her shoulder so he could continue holding her more gently. "Where were you going?"

* * *

Kyoko's mind wasn't working well enough to be able to answer his question. She was sitting between his legs with her back pressed up against his front. He had his arms around her and his head was resting over her shoulder. She was completely enveloped by him. There was no escaping. Nor did she really want to.

"Kyoko-chan, where were you going?" He said in her ear again. A shiver ran down her spine as he breathed her name in her ear one more time.

"Home," she managed to force out. "I…I need clean clothes for the day."

"And you were going to leave without saying goodbye?" He said into her ear again.

How on earth was she going to get out of this? She needed space to clear her head. Instead, she was wrapped in his arms

* * *

"I…I need time to think." He finally heard her say. He had waited for a few minutes for an answer before she finally got that out. And it was a fair answer. While she had said she loved him the night before and kissed him, she made no move this morning to respond to his actions.

Her actions this morning had been running away and being completely still in his arms. He felt like he had misunderstood her the night before and had completely terrified her this morning. He was accosting her with his affection after all. _Crap, did I ruin it?_

She was slowly pulling herself away from him. He let her go with a sigh. She stood in front of him with her back to him. He didn't know what she was thinking or what face she was making. He knew nothing about what her feelings were. He thought he had known. That's why he had boldly grabbed her this morning. But she was not responding in kind. Instead, she seemed scared again.

"I'll see you later," she said softly as she turned towards him. He'd done it now. She was scared of him and would never approach him again.

He locked eyes with her and realized it wasn't fear in her eyes. He wasn't sure what it was, but she wasn't afraid of him. _Thank God._

Before he knew it, her hand was on his cheek and her lips on his. And just as quickly as she had kissed him she pulled away and ran for the door leaving him there dumbstruck.

Ren collapsed into the couch groaning unsure of what to make of that turn of events.

* * *

_I hope those two managed to make up._ Yashiro thought to himself as he walked over to Ren's door. He had told the younger man that their fight needed to be resolved within a day. Who knows if he had actually listened to his advice.

Yashiro reached Ren's door and knocked saying, "it's me." All he heard was a "come in" from the other side of the door. Yashiro had a key for Ren's apartment but it was unusual that he needed to use it. Usually, Ren answered the door. Yashiro let himself in and was shocked to discover Ren on the couch with all the lights out. He hadn't even started to get ready for work. He was just laying there with one arm over his eyes and the other dangling off the side of the couch.

"Ren? Are you okay?" he asked. He got a grunt in response. "Did you and Kyoko make up?" This was very unusual behavior. _Did they fight even more? _Something definitely didn't go as planned.

* * *

_Make up? What?_ The events of the night and the morning had so overwhelmed Ren's mind that he forgot they'd had a huge fight the day before. "Yeah, we made up." He saw the older man give him a look that told him he didn't believe him.

But they did make up. So that wasn't a lie. But now the situation was even more complicated. Lying on the couch wasn't going to change things though. He had work. It was time to put Kyoko out of his mind and get ready for the day…Well, at least, not have Kyoko in the front of his mind. There was no way he was going to be able to forget what had happened between them.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. I already know the scenario I'm going to write in the next chapter. I'll give you a hint: Bo. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Kyoko's mind had been jumbled all day. How could it not be after everything that had happened. Ren had kissed her then told her he loved her. On top of that, she practically tackled him to the bed kissing him. She was happy about it but confused and scared at the same time.

She hadn't had a chance to think about it even though it was weighing on her mind. Her schedule had been packed and she couldn't afford to think about work and Ren at the same time. But now, as Bo, she could finally let her mind wander.

Bo's part on Bridge Rock's show did not contain speaking lines. She could think about her personal life and perform the physical actions she needed to at the same time.

She loved Ren. She had known that for a while now. To know that her feelings were returned made her feel giddy. _But would he still love me if he knew? _One of the reasons why Kyoko didn't want to fall in love again was because it made her foolish. She behaved in silly ways when she was in love. It was embarrassing.

But worse than that, she was a selfish person when in love. Kyoko still remembered the conversation she'd had with The President after he found out about her feelings. He asked her if she could congratulate him if Ren fell in love and got married. She had tried to say yes. But her mask fell apart and she broke down in tears because the question revealed the truth.

If she wasn't part of it, she didn't want Ren to find happiness. She didn't want him to be happy with another woman. She would rather he stayed single. It's a selfish way to think. Ren was a good man. He deserved happiness. Even so, she only wanted him to find love if it was with her.

He had said he loved her, but there was doubt in Kyoko's heart. _What about that high school girl he told Bo about? Did he just toss his feelings for her aside? He also didn't even know what love was back then. I had to explain it to him. Does he have real feelings for me or is he confused? _There was so much to think about but very little answers were coming to her.

She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't let herself hope at the same time. If she hoped, it would be devastating if it turned out that his feelings for her weren't real or were shallow. And she couldn't bear that. Even without allowing herself to hope, she didn't want to think about his feelings being shallow.

And if his feelings were real, what would he think when he found out how selfish she was? Surely, he would withdraw his love and walk away from her life forever, disgusted. Kyoko's heart felt stabbed at the thought and a few tears rolled down her cheek. _Thank God, I'm in Bo's costume. No one will see me._

The show ended and Kyoko decided to walk around TBM while in costume. Her face still had some tears on it from her thoughts and she didn't want anyone to see. Staying in costume was the best way to hide her feelings. When she had recovered, she would head back to Bridge Rock and change.

* * *

It had been a long day for Ren. Yashiro took pity on him and didn't ask any questions other than the one from this morning about whether or not they had made up. They'd made up alright, spectacularly. But then she was like a frightened little lamb this morning. _Although, she did kiss me right before fleeing out the door._ Ren sighed. The girl was sending mixed signals. He had no idea what to think.

His work day was just about done. His last filming had been at TBM. Ren was walking the halls lost in thought waiting for Yashiro as he finished up some paperwork.

_Wait…TBM…that's right. That chicken works here! Or at least, he used to. I wonder if he still does. _Ren's wandering walk changed to one with determination. That chicken was involved with Bridge Rock from LME. If he found their shooting location, he might be able to find him. Or at the very least, some info about him.

Near the elevator, Ren found a directory. He spotted the location of Bridge Rock's filming and headed straight there.

* * *

Hikaru was disappointed. Kyoko had taken off as soon as filming was done. He'd wanted to talk with her some. She was completely clueless about his feelings for her. He was pretty sure she didn't have any love interests in her life. So it wasn't so bad. Still, he wished he could have spoken to her.

He was getting ready to leave with the rest of the Bridge Rock members when none other than Ren Tsuruga walked up to them. All three band members dropped their mouths in shock. _What could the star of LME want with us?! _Hikaru wondered.

"Excuse me," the star said as soon as he got close to them. "You have a chicken on your show, don't you?

"Yes," Hikaru responded. What could he want with Kyoko?

"Is he here? I would like to speak with him." Ren looked rather desperate. Hikaru looked at his bandmates. They shrugged at him not sure what was going on either.

"She's not here. She left as soon as filming was done." Hikaru informed him. A cloudy expression passed over Ren's face.

"Thank you, I'll catch up with him another time." Ren walked away looking rather dejected.

"Just what did he want?" Shinichi asked out loud to the group.

"Who knows," Yuusei responded. "But did he just call Kyoko-chan a he?" All three Bridge Rock members stared after Ren in confusion.

* * *

_That was a bust._ The chicken had already left and his costars didn't know where he'd gone off to. Ren begrudgingly gave up his quest to find the only person he felt comfortable talking to about this subject.

Kimija had already guessed his feelings and was a friend. But there was no way he could be completely open with him. Yashiro was definitely out. If he knew all the details, he'd be shocked and delight in teasing him. The President was a definite no… that was a bad idea to even think about.

Ren sighed. Sure enough, the only person he felt comfortable talking to he didn't know how to reach. He looked up to see down the hall. In his depression, he'd been walking looking at his feet.

_Wait, is that…?_

* * *

Kyoko had finally managed to compose herself. She was walking back to the Bridge Rock set. _Everyone's probably left by now. I'll be alone as I get out of costume and head home. _That was a relief. While she may have schooled her face, she still didn't feel like conversing with anyone.

"Hey, you!" A voice shouted from down the hall. Kyoko ignored it. Whoever it was wasn't talking to her. She was just a lowly chicken meandering her way around staring at her feet.

"Hey!" Someone said as they forcefully grabbed her shoulders from the front. Kyoko's head flew up at the sudden contact.

_Oh my God! _Her eyes flew open in terror and shock. _What is he doing here?! I'm not ready to see him yet. My heart can't take interacting with him!_

"Do you think we could talk? It seems we only ever talk when I need advice on something…but, well… you're the only person I feel comfortable talking about with this since we've discussed it before. We can talk over a drink, my treat. I definitely owe you for the help you've given me." The words rushed out of Ren's mouth as he talked to the chicken.

_Right, I'm Bo right now. _Kyoko finally remembered. Her heart settled down some upon realizing she didn't have to interact with him as herself…Still, she'd have to do her best acting. Just looking at the man sent her heart racing.

"Yo Tsuruga-kun, what's up?" She managed. "I'm not able to go out right now, but we can talk here." She definitely couldn't join him for a drink. Leaving the building would require taking her costume off and then he would know the truth. THAT was a definite no-no.

"Alright, if you won't let me take you out to get drinks let's at least find somewhere to sit," Ren said as he started walking towards an empty room. He opened the door and let her walk in first. "Do you remember when we spoke before about love?" He asked as he closed the door behind them.

_Great. Now we're in a room alone. I'd rather not be in a private setting with him right now._

"Yes, I remember. You were struggling to portray an acting role because you had never been in love. Thankfully, we uncovered someone you had feelings for. How has it been going with her?" Kyoko's heart ached to ask about another woman Ren was interested in. She had to do it to keep up her disguise, but she'd rather not hear his answer.

"Well," Ren sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know…I may have pushed things too far this time." Ren sat down putting his forehead in his right hand as he continued. "Last night, she fell asleep at my place…

_Excuse me!?_

"and when I went to move her I thought I heard her mumble that she loved me. I knew it was too good to be true. She's never showed any interest in me, but I couldn't help myself. I kissed her while she was sleeping."

_WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!_

"Apparently, she wasn't as asleep as I thought. She kissed me back thinking she was dreaming." Ren looked up at her with hope in his eyes. "It was amazing." He stood up and started pacing the room in his excitement. "I had to convince her that she wasn't dreaming and that I really did love her, but then she knocked me over fervently kissing me. I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it!" He looked back at her with wonder in his eyes.

Ren was completely unaware that she was sitting in her costume in shock, mouth wide open. He continued, "But then in the morning, she tried to escape before even saying goodbye. I pulled her into a hug, but she didn't respond. She left without showing me any more affection other than a quick kiss goodbye."

The wonder was giving way to worry and confusion. "I'm afraid I pushed her too far and that she won't want anything to do with me. She's extremely pure after all…" Ren sighed and sat down next to Kyoko in her costume. He tilted his head back while waiting for a reply. "Well, say something would you."

She could barely get her mind to wrap around the words he had said. Getting words out of her mouth seemed like an impossible feat. "I need a minute to think," she finally managed.

* * *

Ren sighed again. _Of course, he needs to think. I just unloaded a lot of personal information on him. What am I doing? I just blurted the details of my love life to a total stranger. _Ren looked down from the ceiling glancing over at the chicken while putting his head in his hand again. _Not quite a stranger I guess. He's helped me before, but I don't even know the chicken's name! Let alone the man inside._

He was going to have to learn more about this chicken-man. Then again, maybe the reason he felt so comfortable talking to him was because he didn't know the man inside. He'd kept Ren's secrets up till now. There was no reason for him to turn traitor at this point in time.

* * *

Kyoko's mind was swirling trying to process what he'd said. "This girl that you kissed last night, she's the same one you were in love with before?" She asked turning her head towards him.

"Yes," Ren responded simply. "I know I didn't have any previous experience with love. But my affections wouldn't move on THAT quickly. What kind of guy do you think I am?" He gave her an offended look.

Inside the chicken head, Kyoko's mouth was opening and closing without making a sound. _Is this for real?! He confessed to me all that time ago and neither of us even realized it?! Surely he's mistaken somehow._

"Are you sure it's love that you feel for this girl?" Kyoko asked.

"What?" Ren looked back confused. "You're the one who pointed out to me that I had feelings for her. And besides, my feelings have grown so much since then I couldn't possibly deny it even if I wanted to. I've chased off men who've shown any interest in her and said mean things out of jealousy." Ren shook his head staring down at his hands. "There's no denying that my heart belongs to her."

"Wait," Ren cocked his head up and looked over at her. "We aren't supposed to be questioning my feelings. It's her actions that don't make any sense. How can she say she loves me and then run away as soon as she can?" He asked exacerbated.

_Oh my God…Oh my God…Oh my God…Oh my God…I have to get out of here! _Kyoko took a few deep breaths as she tried to think of a way to leave.

* * *

The chicken suddenly stood up. "A young woman's feelings are complicated. Perhaps she is confused about her feelings towards you. Teenagers, who knows what they're feeling these days?" The chicken made the American gesture Ren once made a long time ago with his hands in the air and his shoulders shrugged. "You should probably give her a few days to figure things out for herself. She's being pursued by the most eligible bachelor in Japan after all. She probably finds it unbelievable. And with that, I must take my leave." He quickly turned on his heel and walked out the door leaving Ren alone in the room.

_That was… less helpful than I was expecting. _Ren thought to himself disappointed. He had really been hoping the chicken could clear some things up for him. Instead, he'd listened to his story and then run off. Ren was disappointed over more than the lack of advice. He had thought the two got along better than that. He had considered the chicken a rare friend that he could be himself with.

Slowly he got up and found his way back to Yashiro. _This was a bust_. He thought grimly. In more ways than one.


	4. Chapter 4

Kyoko changed out of her Bo costume and ran home as fast as she could. She went straight to her room when she got there. She didn't even stop to great the Mr. and Mrs.

She wanted to cry. Knowing Ren loved her should have made her happy. After all, her feelings were returned. Instead, she was consumed by a knot of fear. There was no way he would continue to love her when he learned how horrible a person she was.

Kyoko tried to sleep. She hadn't slept the night before and really needed some rest. But she could do no more than roll around in bed agonizing over Ren's words and what he would think when he learned the truth.

Eventually, Kyoko gave up trying to sleep. It wasn't doing her any good. Maybe some fresh air would help. She got dressed and headed for the park near her house.

On the way there, she remembered their conversations from when she was Bo. _My God, I told him to seduce the girl he was in love with. To seduce me! _What a frightening thought. If he had taken her advice, she would have been little more than putty in his hands. There was no way she could have resisted him for long.

Her pace quickened at the thought.

* * *

When Yashiro dropped Ren off at home, he didn't go up to his apartment. He headed for his car instead. Going back to an empty apartment with his emotions so raw was the last thing he wanted to do.

He got in his car and drove around aimlessly. Or he thought he was driving around aimlessly. Before he knew it, he was at the park where Kyoko had mistaken him for Corn. Her heart had been broken from the words her mother said and had cried into his chest. It made his heart ache to remember her in so much pain.

Ren decided to park and walk around a bit. Moving his feet might help.

* * *

Kyoko was hoping to find some fairies to help lighten her mood. She would accept anyone or anything at this point. Her heart had never been in so much turmoil before. As she walked into the small park, she realized a lone person was on the swing. _Guess I'm not the only one having a rough night. _She thought to herself.

She ignored the individual and walked to the other side where there was some shrubbery. Surely, she'd be able to find some fairies among the plants.

She was so absorbed in her task that she didn't realize she'd slowly made her way towards the other person in the park. When she finally realized how close she was, she inspected his figure a bit. It looked a bit familiar: broad shoulders, very tall, graceful, and something about that hairstyle was familiar.

It was so dark out it was hard to see. She took a few steps closer to the man who was gently swaying side to side on his swing lost in thought.

_*Gasp* _She had to stifle her gasp as she realized it was Ren sitting on the swing. _Why do I keep running into him?! All I've wanted all day is some space! _Kyoko briskly spun around and took two steps before stopping.

_I can't_, she thought slumping her head. She had already run away from him twice today. To make it worse, she did it as two different people. He probably felt doubly abandoned.

Kyoko took a deep breath to calm her nerves a bit and walked back to Ren. She walked around in front of him and took a good look before letting him know she was there. He looked defeated and hurt. She hated seeing him like this.

"Tsuruga-san," she said softly. He slowly lifted his head to see who was speaking to him and his eyes flew wide open when he realized who it was.

That morning, Kyoko had kissed him before leaving because of the pained expression on his face of her dashing away. She had hoped it would assure him some. As Bo, she learned that wasn't the case.

She bent down to give him a gentle kiss, but this time it wasn't for his pain. This time, she did it as her last opportunity. Once he knew the truth, he would move on. His feelings for her would disappear and she would be left heartbroken. But she'd rather be heartbroken than seeing him like this.

She pulled away with little reaction from Ren. He just stared up at her with shock all over his face. She walked to the swing next to him and sat down in it.

"I'm sorry for running away this morning," she told him. "It's joyous and frightening at the same time to learn you return my feelings. I didn't know how to handle the competing emotions." She kept her head down as she spoke. She didn't dare look at him.

"Why would it be frightening?" He tentatively asked.

"Because you're too good for me. You're the most eligible bachelor in Japan, a God among actors. How could I be worthy of your affection?" She sighed, "I'm a nobody. Worse than that, I'm foul."

"Mogami-san," he started, using his normal formalities with her. "Why on earth would you be foul? I love you. I wouldn't love you if were that way."

She couldn't hold it back anymore and burst into tears, "You say that because you don't know!" She said before sobbing. "You don't know how selfish I am!"

"What are you selfish over?" He gently asked her.

"The president," she managed. "He knows my feelings for you. He asked me if I would be able to congratulate you for falling in love and getting married." She let out a small sob. "I thought I could. But I've realized I couldn't. I don't want to see you with another woman. You deserve to be happy. But if it's not with me, I don't want you to have that kind of joy." She was crying so hard now she barely managed to get out the last sentence. "It's incredibly selfish of me!"

Kyoko hadn't realized Ren had moved off his swing to be standing in front of her. He grabbed the hands she was crying into and pulled her into his embrace. "You little fool," he whispered to the top of her head as he held her close. "You don't think I feel the same?"

_What? _Kyoko didn't know what to make of that statement. She pulled away from Ren's chest where she had been crying to look up at him quizzically.

"Kijima was interested in you. But I chased him off because I don't want any other man to have you. I hate Fuwa with a passion not only for how he treated you but also because I'm jealous of the connection you have with him." He sighed as he pulled her back into his embrace and nuzzled his face into her hair. "Kyoko-chan," he said informally again. "I want you all to myself. I can't bear the thought of another man being with you. Thinking about it fills me with a jealous rage." He hugged her tighter. "We're not so different," he whispered into her ear.

Her mind was working to process what he said. Her arms had already folded around him hugging him back. It was difficult to believe that the great Tsuruga Ren would share in her feelings of possessiveness. But he had said so himself.

"Is it really okay?" She asked quietly. "For me to love you and accept your love?" She was terrified of his answer.

"More than okay," Ren told her as he kissed the top of her head and moved to look into her eyes. "Nothing would make me happier." He reached down and kissed her, pulling her as close as he could.

Initially, Kyoko felt shocked, but that feeling quickly gave way to elation as she leaned into his kiss, finally letting her feelings go to fully consume her.

* * *

Ren was overjoyed. He'd wanted her like this since he had realized he had feelings for her. Even before that, when they were kids, he'd wanted her in his life always.

But she pulled away from him all too soon.

"There's one more thing," she breathed. "A secret I have to tell you."

Ren had no idea what secret she had that she thought was so important at this moment.

"Tsuruga-san," she started.

"Ren," he told her. "I'd rather you weren't so formal with me."

She nodded slightly and continued. "Ren…I don't know how to say this. There isn't really a good way." She said glancing down.

_Whatever could this secret be? _He wondered.

She took a deep breath, "I'm Bo!" she said as she exhaled.

"...Who's Bo? He asked her.

Her eyes flew up in surprise. For some reason, this was someone he was supposed to know. The expression she gave him was pained and she was wringing her hands. Saying that much had apparently been painful. But she'd have to say more so that he understood.

"Bo is…a chicken." She glanced up at him clearly hoping he understood her this time. She continued when he still look confused. "He's…part of the cast for Bridge Rock.." she said without looking at him.

"No," he breathed. He felt his face go scarlet as the heat started coming off of it. He took a few steps back barely managing not to stumble.

"I'm sorry!" she burst out. "After our initial encounter, I didn't dare let you know who was in the costume. Then I used that relationship to prod you about Katsuki and what was troubling you… I never imagined.." She trailed off.

Ren had never been so embarrassed. He had confessed to the girl he liked and didn't even know it. Thankfully, she was so love dense that she hadn't been able to put two and two together. She had probably only figured it out this….evening…

* * *

Ren was suddenly laughing hysterically. Kyoko was panicked. _Did he snap from the shock?_

"Are you okay?" She asked tentatively. His right hand was on his face as he laughed into it doubled over his other arm. He glanced at her through his fingers and started to calm down.

"It's just too…too," he was struggling to find the word he needed, "unbelievable I guess. Here I was confused about you and at the same time I was seeking you out about advice on how to understand you better without realizing who I was talking to." He was still laughing but he had managed to get himself under control. "I've never heard a more ridiculous story."

There was a playful glint in his eyes as he kept chuckling to himself. Suddenly, a mischievous grin passed his face. "Do you remember the advice you gave as Bo?" he asked closing the distance between them.

Kyoko's face started to flush hoping he didn't mean what she thought he did.

"You told me to seduce the girl I love," he stated as he put his fingers on her cheek, sliding down her neck, shoulder, and finally resting on her hips. "Should I take that advice now?" he asked slipping into his emperor of the night face while pulling her hips to him.

Kyoko gulped as she looked up into his eyes. When she had given that advice, she hadn't expected to be on the receiving end. Not that she minded. And now that she knew his feelings towards her and was comfortable in her feelings towards him, being seduced wouldn't be so bad..but still, she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

* * *

Ren saw a sly smile slowly spread across her lips. "Seduce me?" she asked as she brought her arms up around his head letting her fingers tickle the back of his neck and pressing her body flush against his. "Are you sure you're the one doing the seducing?" She challenged softly.

Ren chuckled at the challenge and gave in. He wrapped his hand around her head and pulled her up to him kissing her again. This kiss, he was more liberal with is hands and to his shock and joy, so was she.

* * *

For the second night in a row, Kyoko had lost herself in Ren. She couldn't think about anything else. The park didn't exist, just them. That's why she was so shocked when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She startled, pulling away from Ren.

He wasn't going to let her go so easily though. He kept his hands on her hips to keep her close to him as she answered the phone.

"Hello," she spoke into the phone.

"Kyoko-chan, where are you? I saw you leave earlier but you haven't come back yet. It's getting late, you should come home." It was the Mrs. It was time for her to head back home. And good timing too. Things had started to get really heated and the park wasn't exactly an appropriate place for that…_Are things getting that heated even appropriate? _She wondered to herself.

"Yes, I'll head back now. I'm just at the park." She told the Mrs.

She could see the disappoint in Ren's face but also understanding. "I'll walk you home," he told her. He kept one arm around her waist as he guided her to walk beside him.

"Tsur…Ren," she corrected herself. "What if someone sees us walking together.

"Let them," he said with a boyish grin. "You're mine, and I'm never letting you go." He swooped down and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Kyoko's face flushed slightly at the statement, but she liked it.

* * *

_It's a good thing she got that phone call. _Ren thought as he drove back to his apartment. He'd lost all sense of where they were. And while he was happy to let people see them walking together. The idea of the papparazi getting their hands on risqué photos was dangerous.

Yes, their night had needed to end there. But there were still things to do. Ren grabbed his phone and made a call.

"Boss, do you think you could get Miss Woods to do my transformation tomorrow evening?" Ren asked.

"I can certainly ask her. What's this about?" The man on the other end asked.

"I need help with something," Ren said. "It will be a difficult task. I'm going to need your help too... and I'd appreciate it if you could get _them _on a video call."


	5. Chapter 5

_Both of them are coming over today after work, and Ren is going to tell her everything, huh? _Lori Takarada didn't understand why but he wasn't going to complain. Ren being ready to reveal his dual nature was a sign of healing.

_But how will she react? _He knew Kyoko was in love with Ren. Learning that he's been leading a double life might be a bit overwhelming. _But according to Ren, it will be a challenge to get her to understand._

Lori couldn't fathom why. What was so hard to understand? He had his hair dyed and wore contact lenses that changed his eye color. He was going to attend the meeting at Ren's request. Normally, he wouldn't dare even though he'd love to be a fly on the wall. This should be a private conversation.

It was surprising that Ren would want him to be privy to such an intimate conversation with the girl he loved but he was insistent that he was going to need help. _Just what is going to be so challenging to get her to believe him?_

Just then a knock came at his door. Sebastian stepped in followed by Ren.

"Ren, are you ready?" The older man asked. What he was about to do took a lot of courage and determination.

"Not really, but I can't hide this secret from her any longer. She should be here shortly. Is Ms. Woods ready?" Ren asked.

"Yes, do you want to get started with the transformation before Mogami-san arrives?" Lori replied. It would save some time to get the process started.

Ren sighed. "No, she has to watch the whole process. It will be very difficult to convince her. Are you ready to help me?" Ren looked at Lori with a pleading look that he hadn't seen in years.

"Ren, why do you expect this to be so hard?" Lori couldn't figure it out. What was so hard to believe that a celebrity lived by an alias?

The young man sighed again. "Because we have to convince her that I'm not a very prince with my natural blond hair and green eyes."

_What the…? _Lori felt stunned for a moment. _A fairy prince? Does she really believe in such things? Wait, before that. Why would she believe Ren's true appearance is a fairy prince? Did they meet in Guam after all?_

Before Lori had a chance to ask any of his questions and get some answers Kyoko arrived. "Mogami-san! I'm so happy you could make it!" He said with all his usual exuberance.

She walked into the room to join the two men already standing there. "President….Ren…." She greeted each of them with a blush to Ren. _Ren?! Since when did these to get on a first-name basis?! And with a blush! _Lori looked over at Ren and received another shock. Ren was openly smiling with a face full of love as he greeted her.

"Kyoko," he greeted her back. Lori's mind went blank and his jaw dropped. Just how was he supposed to comprehend this development between them.

"Um, Ren, why are we here meeting in the President's office?" Kyoko asked the younger man rather shyly.

"Uh…,"Ren glanced to the side briefly before responding, "Do you remember how you told me your secret last night about Bo-chan?" Kyoko nodded still looking confused. "I have a secret to confess as well. Although mine is quite a bit bigger. In fact, you're going to have a hard time believing me. That's why I've asked for the president's help in this matter." Ren finished with a sheepish grin.

Lori had to stop himself from busting out a laugh. Here he was, Japan's most eligible bachelor, giving a sheepish grin to a 17 year old girl as if he had no experience with women. _Well, he certainly has experience. Just not the right kind._

"Ren, are you ready?" Jelly Woods busted into the room completely unaware of what was going on. "Oh, Kyoko-can, you're here too! These boys did mention you would be here and be the first, other than myself, to know Ren's true appearance! I think you'll find his natural hair color and looks dashing!"

Kyoko looked at Ms. Woods unsure of what to make of the situation. "Natural hair color?" She asked.

"It would be easiest to just show you. An explanation won't be enough." Ren said as he followed the hairstylist to the room where she worked her magic.

* * *

Kyoko followed Ren and Ms. Woods and sat in a chair opposite of Ren. He was sitting in the beautician's chair ready for the magic to be worked on him.

_Ren's natural hair color? _An image of Corn in Guam appeared in her mind. Certainly, Corns hair and eye color had looked good with Ren's physique. But there was no way for Ren, a human, and Corn, the fairy prince, to look that much alike. Even with magic distortion interfering.

So she watched Ms. Woods get to work. She watched her apply a product to his hair and go through the process of coloring it. _Wait, she's not just dying it. She's bleaching it!_

As Ren's true hair color became more and more apparent as the beautician worked anxiety rose in Kyoko. When Ms. Woods was all done, Kyoko took in Ren's full face with his new hair. It was almost exactly like Corn! Just the eye color was different.

Kyoko was standing at this point and her heart was beating fast. If Ren was a natural blond, just how was she supposed to tell when she met Corn again? She wouldn't know who she was talking to without looking closely at the eyes… Maybe they could come up with some kind of code word so she would know?

Ren turned towards the sink and reached his hands up to his eyes. Kyoko watched him take out one contact and then another. When he turned to look at her, she fell backwards on the floor. She was staring right into the face of Corn.

* * *

Watching Kyoko's facial expressions as Ren's true appearance was revealed was one of the most entertaining events Lori had ever witnessed. Initially, she had a sense of curiosity about her. She clearly wasn't expecting anything momentous. But as the blond became more visible her demeanor changed.

Disbelief was written all over her face. It was like her mind was trying to put two and two together but was failing miserably. Then when the transformation was complete with the contacts out, her legs gave out and her mind went blank.

It looked like her brain just completely stopped processing. _Why is this appearance having such a big impact on her? _Lori wondered.

* * *

Ren expected her reaction would be something like this. Now to get her to understand. "Kyoko, let me help you up." He held his hand out to her to help her off the floor. But she just sat there staring, not registering anything.

He squatted down next to her to get on her level. "Kyoko, will you come sit over on the couch with me so that I can explain, please?" Her eyes were glued to his face. Ren wasn't sure if she had heard him. It was a few seconds too late, but she did give him a nod.

Ren held out his hand for her again. This time she took it and let him help her stand up and lead her to the couch. The whole time her expression remained in shock.

Once they were sitting on the couch, she seemed to regain some composure.

"Corn…you were disguising herself as a human this whole time or have you temporarily taken Ren's place in the human world?"

* * *

Sorry, it took so long for me to get this chapter out! It's been a long Summer. I was intending this to be the last chapter but realized as I was writing it that there's a lot to write. So I'm going to break it up into pieces. It will likely take two more chapters, but if I'm feeling especially writey I might do it in one. Hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter 6

Kyoko sat on the floor completely shocked. Ren had somehow just turned into Corn. But no, you can't just turn into someone. Either he was Ren disguising himself as Corn or Corn had been disguised as Ren. But for how long? Since she met him? No, that couldn't be. He would have told her.

"Kyoko, will you come sit over on the couch with me so that I can explain, please?" Ren's voice broke through her thoughts. Her eyes focused on him as she nodded and took his hand. She let him lead her to the couch as her mind kept whirling.

Since Guam maybe? Had working the magic and taking Ren's voice to speak prevented him from going home somehow and he'd been stuck walking around as Ren? That couldn't be either. The night she cried about her mother he was Ren for sure. She did initially mistake him for Corn, but it had been Ren that night who soothed her. Just what was going on?!

There was no doubt that the eyes she was staring into were Corn's. After sitting on the couch she was ready to start some questioning.

"Corn…you were disguising yourself as a human this whole time or have you temporarily taken Ren's place in the human world?"

* * *

Lori watched Ren sigh and give the young woman a helpless look. He had no idea who Corn was supposed to be. But he was curious as to who Kyoko thought he was.

"Mogami-san," he started, breaking her concentration and getting her to look at him, "who is Corn?"

Kyoko looked at the blond Ren a little unsure. "It's okay to tell him." Ren said. _Tell me what?_

"If you say so, Corn." Kyoko took a deep breath before starting. "Mr. President, who do you see before you?" She asked pointing at Ren with her hand.

"Ren with his natural hair and eye color," Lori said a little confused but humoring her.

"This is not Ren but Corn, the prince of the fairy world," she said so matter of factly. Lori had to cover his smirking face with his hand. He looked over at Ren who was very intentionally looking away from him. _She really does believe that! But why?_

"How do you know this is Corn and not Ren? And how do you even know Corn in the first place?" _This will be good._

"I met Corn in his adult form in Guam." _Damn it Ren! You weren__'__t supposed to let her see you! _"He almost didn't recognize me, but he did and performed some magic to borrow Ren's voice. He ended up looking like Ren because…because…." she faltered a little here.

"Because you had recently been thinking about him," Lori could hear the smirk in Ren's voice even though he couldn't see it because he was still looking away from him. _Not sure how he figured that out, but it must have been a pleasant surprise for him._

"Right," Kyoko managed through her embarrassment. "Anyways, we hung out for a while before he had to return to the fairy world. It was so much fun hanging out again." She said with a huge grin.

_Wait, again? _"Mogami-san, had you met Corn before?" She had something earlier about how he almost didn't recognize her. Just what was going on between these two?

"Yes," she said nodding. "Corn visited the human world when we were kids." Lori's eyes bulged at hearing this. He looked over at Ren who finally looked over at him and nodded with a helpless look. Lori turned back towards Kyoko to learn more.

"When you were kids?" He asked trying to prod for more information. "Can you tell me about it?"

That was all she needed. She launched into their childhood stories of playing by the river. Lori learned of how she would cry to Ren whenever she was upset over her mother. They played with the rocks and Ren had shown her he could fly with his amazing jumping ability.

Kyoko finished telling the stories of their childhood, ending with their sad parting. Lori sat back in his chair astonished. _Who would have thought? These two originally met as children. _Lori couldn't help but look at them in a new light. Kyoko had always been Ren's good luck charm, and Ren had always been a source of strength for Kyoko. Even before they met as adults. The story was almost too fantastic to believe. _You can__'__t argue that destiny exists looking at them. They really are meant for each other. No wonder Ren has never been able to have a real relationship with another woman__…__.and no wonder he said he needed my help! She__'__s believed him to be a fairy prince since they were children!_

Lori finally collected himself and leaned forward to continue the conversation. "Isn't it amazing, Mr. President?" Kyoko asked him with sparkling eyes.

"In many ways," Lori responded. "Ren, or Corn, how would you like to proceed?"

Ren looked at him a little somber. "Can you tell her the story of a young man you rescued from America?"

"I understand," Lori responded. "Mogami-san, you've told me a wonderful story about your childhood. Let me tell you a story about another child. One who struggled with becoming a man." She nodded and listened.

"An old friend of mine had a son. He doted on his child. His son was the light of his and his wife's world. No parent could love their child more. But even so, their son was suffocating under the weight of the father's influence. The son wanted to grow into his own man but felt he couldn't escape his father's grasp. The father realized one day that his son was suffering and there was nothing he could do to help. So he called me. I flew to America and took his son away. Away from his parents who loved him dearly but were also the source of his pain. I took this young man under my wing and helped him grow." Lori stopped there to let the story sink in.

Kyoko thought for a moment before speaking. "That's just like Corn. He said father's hands were too big and that he couldn't escape. It's too bad he didn't have someone like you to help him out Mr. President. But I don't see why that story matters right now." She was looking confused.

"Kyoko," Ren finally spoke up. "Do you remember in Guam when I told you I loved you?" _HE DID WHAT?!_

Kyoko nodded and blushed. "I told you not to say that because humans and fairies can't live together. You told me so yourself. You can't tell people you love them so frivolously."

"Yes," Ren responded, "but what if I wasn't a fairy, but a human? What if I was the young man the president spoke of in his story?"

"Of course, you're a fairy Corn! I've seen you perform magic!" _Yeah, this is gonna be tough. The kid really dug his own grave on this one._

"Kyoko," he said gently taking her hand. "You believed so strongly that I was a fairy when we were kids that I couldn't help but play along. Even back then, I think I loved you." He brushed a few strands of hair away from her cheek as he said this.

"C-corn, you can't be saying this. I…I am in love with Ren Tsuruga." She blushed as she removed her hand from Ren's and pulled away from the one touching her cheek. Lori caught a brief flash of pain cross Ren's face. _Ah, she loves Ren. But what about Corn?_

"Do you not love me as Corn?" He asked her.

"Of course, I do! But…but it's different!" She was getting a little distraught. "Corn is the best friend I ever had. The one I can tell all my secrets too. The one I can be myself with no matter what. "But Ren…Ren is different. My love for each of you is different."

Lori's heart was about to break in two at this point. The girl loved the boy but didn't realize she loved him in two different ways. The boy loved the girl but had set himself up for the divided love he was receiving from her now. He had to help settle things.

"Mogami-san," he interjected. "Could you do me a favor?" She looked over at him looking ready to cry. "I want you to close your eyes and imagine something."

She looked at him for a moment before obeying. "I want you to imagine Ren and Corn side by side. Think about how you feel about each of them. One is your best friend, the other your lover. How would you feel if your lover and best friend were the same person?"

Tears started streaming down her face at this point. She covered her face with her hands. Lori's heart went out to her. Ideally, one's lover is your best friend. But right now, she thought he was two different people.

"Could you ever see yourself being as natural with Ren as you are with Corn or love Corn in the same way you do Ren?" Ren spoke up. She looked at him through her hands.

"But that can't be. You're two different people." She cried.

"Boss, could you tell her the rest of the story of the young man? Of why he was trapped by his father and how he grew into a man?"

Lori understood what he wanted and nodded. "Mogami-san, look here," she looked over at him. "My friend, the father of the young man, was a famous actor. His son idolized him and wanted to be an actor just like him. The problem was the son's acting was similar to his father's. He was picked on for not being his own person, for not having his own style. He struggled with making friends and became a miscreant."

"He managed to make one friend. He was a little older and engaged, but the two were inseparable. One night, the young man got into some trouble and his friend tried to be there for him. Unfortunately," Lori had to take a moment to pause here. It was hard for him to talk about and Ren was looking away. It was a difficult memory for him. "His friend died. He was hit by a car as a result of trying to be there for the young man."

Lori looked over at Kyoko. She was still crying but her tears didn't look like they were for herself right now. Ren reached for her hand and squeezed while he looked away. The memory would likely never leave him.

"Ever since that day, the young man saw himself as a murderer and fell further and further into depression. That's when I received a call to come to take him away and raise him in Japan."

* * *

_Murderer? _A memory flashed in Kyoko's memory of Cain Heel being triggered by being called a murderer. It was Ren acting as Cain Heel but it wasn't Ren responding to the word. She had felt like there was someone else. Someone who wasn't acting but was actually affected by the term. Someone who enjoyed fighting and had a dark self…someone who would fit the description of the young man the president was describing.

* * *

"I brought him home to Japan and taught him how to be his own man and how to be an actor. He had talent, but his growth was stunted by his life experiences. Before he could reach his full potential, he would have to overcome those experiences. One hurdle was to find love. Since the death of his friend, he felt he did not deserve to be happy. Which meant he couldn't love anyone. So I was rather surprised when this young man fell in love with a young woman who had her own trauma to deal with and didn't want to love anyone either. In a way, the two were perfect for each other, but their shared feeling of not wanting a relationship was going to make their road to be together even harder. But much to my surprise, you two seem to have come together on your own." Lori looked over at Kyoko trying to drive the point home.

* * *

Kyoko's mind was swirling. There was so much information she didn't know how to process it. So her body did the only thing it could do, it passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

Memories floated through Kyoko's mind. They were like scenes passing by that she was only able to catch glimpses of. Each new scene left her with a new puzzle piece to add to the picture forming in her mind. She wasn't sure what the picture was. All she knew was that her mind was trying to figure something out.

Almost all of the scenes were of her interacting with Ren and Corn.

The first memory that floated by was of Cain Heel being triggered by the word murderer and almost killing Murasame-san. She remembered the look of joy on Cain Heel's face as he fought with the thugs in the street. The night she gave Ren a hicky as Setsuka flashed. The man she interacted with that night wasn't Ren. It was someone else. A new memory suddenly flashed of their time together as the Heel siblings. Ren greeting her at the door after she went out to get food. He pulled her into bed with him and he trembled for a long while after falling asleep. That had occurred after the Murasame incident.

_Someone else resides in Ren's body…someone who is triggered by the word murderer..._

An image of Ren frozen after an almost car accident during the shooting for Dark Moon appeared. He was in shock and nobody could figure out why. He had masterfully handled the car along with the stunt driver in the other vehicle and missed the boy and his grandmother. No one had been hurt and yet Ren sat there lifeless, unable to hear or see anything.

_Someone who reacts to an almost car accident unreasonably… Ren Tsuruga shouldn't have been so affected by the incident…_

A clip of Ren finding the stone Corn on the floor and stating from where she was from.

_He never did explain how he knew I was from Kyoto that day…_

The Beagle telling her to throw the stone away was the next scene she saw. He said the darkness of the one who owned it before her was too dark. The stone had absorbed his negative feelings and was dangerous. Then she saw Ren soothing her, telling her the boy grew into a man and was able to live his life.

_How could he know Corn was doing okay?…Unless…._

Memories of Guam and hanging out with Corn were the next memories to present themselves. She had noticed that Corn looked exactly like Ren. He had said that was because of her impurities, but what if that was a lie?

_What if Corn is Ren…?_

The next images were of her crying in Ren's arms. She had mistaken him for Corn that night. She wholeheartedly believed it was Corn holding her. When she learned it was Ren she had felt totally embarrassed.

_The same person?_

Other images flashed in her mind too. Ones that she couldn't make sense of. She saw Kuu telling her about his dead son and Ren seeing Kuu off with her.

…_Why Kuu?…_

Kyoko's mind was swirling with all the images but the puzzle she had been working on was coming together. The puzzle was an image of Ren's face. The hair and eye color changed depending on the angle you looked at it. But no matter the change in color, the man was the same.

She started opening her eyes as she once again saw Kuu. Kuu gave way to Ren/Corn as her eyes fully opened.

* * *

Ren hadn't expected her to pass out. He had caught her as her body dove forward towards the floor. Both he and the president were surprised and didn't know what to do for a moment. They laid her out on the couch so her body could rest.

"Guess it was too much for her mind to take, huh?" Lori asked.

"I guess," Ren sighed. "How long do you think before she wakes up?" He asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Who knows? She could wake up any minute or sleep through the night. Hopefully, it's the former though. Are you sure she will be able to handle another shock?" Lori was thinking of the two people waiting on the video conference in the other room. They had planned to speak with them as well.

"I need to get it all out at once. But she might need it spread out over longer. Do you think it's possible for her to let go of this idea that I'm a fairy prince?" Ren asked the older man without thinking.

"If that wasn't such a serious question I'd be laughing at you calling yourself a fairy prince," Lori said looking at him.

"I couldn't help it. That's what she called me the very first time she saw me. I didn't think I'd ever see her again. So I didn't see the harm. And it was so much fun playing along with her," Ren said the last sentence softly as he remembered those days.

"You're so hopeless," Lori's words pulled Ren's thoughts from his memories as he looked at him surprised. "How are you going to get her to believe you? You've been playing this ruse since you met her. You've feigned ignorance as Ren. If she does believe you, are you prepared for her anger for deceiving her?"

Ren looked down ashamed. "I'll face whatever she feels towards me."

At that moment, they heard Kyoko start to stir and brought their attention back to her. Ren sat next to her on the couch holding her hand willing her to wake up.

"...Corn…No…Ren?" she asked when her eyes opened. She stayed laying there but stared at him as if trying to understand his face.

"Are you okay, Kyoko?" Ren asked her.

She nodded her head and slowly sat up. She looked up at Ren to speak, "Why have you deceived me all this time…Why not tell me you were Corn?"

Ren was shocked. "You believe me?" he breathed. He hadn't expected her to believe him this fast.

"Memories," Kyoko said as she looked down. "Memories flooded my mind of you as Corn and Ren and…Cain Heel." She hesitated slightly and looked back at him. "When you lost yourself as Cain Heel, I felt like there was someone other than Ren Tsuruga inside you. But that wasn't the Corn I knew either."

She looked a little confused as to how Corn could have such darkness inside him. Ren sighed before explaining, "I locked away the darkness of Corn and made Ren Tsuruga. I've lived my life as Ren to escape what I went through as Corn. But acting as BJ forced me to bring out the savagery of my past. Every time you felt I wasn't Ren or Cain Heel, I was Corn."

Kyoko slowly nodded in response as she processed what he said. "But why? Why did you deceive me all this time? You deliberately acted like you didn't know Corn. You asked me to kiss you as Corn when you knew as Ren you had said not to kiss anybody…Why pick on me like that?"

Ren grimaced at her words. He had been unfair to her and had known it while he was doing it. "I didn't tell you because I was protecting myself. I wasn't allowed to love as far as I was concerned. So there was no point in telling you the truth. Plus, I had vowed to not tell anyone. I was going to lock Corn away for good."

"So why tell me now?" Kyoko asked looking up at him.

Ren smiled down at her. "Because you validated Corn's existence and helped me to accept that side of myself. You helped me to forgive myself. That is the reason I can now tell you I love you. You set me free from the self-hatred I was trapped in. But I can't tell you I love you without telling you the whole truth. Hence, why I'm telling you now." Ren hoped she would understand. It had been cruel to keep this secret from her but also necessary for him to do.

"I…set you free? I helped Corn?" Tears were forming in her eyes again, but they were softer than before. "I've always wanted to help Corn like how you helped me. I always wished I could be the friend to you you were to me as kids."

Ren was starting to unravel on the inside. Her face was so captivating and her desire to be there for him intoxicating. He brought his hand up to her face. "You were so much more," he whispered before he pulled her into a kiss. Ren pulled her whole body into his on the couch as he fervently kissed her trying to convey how much she meant to him and the many gifts she had graced him with.

*cough*cough* "Perhaps we should move on to the next secret?" Lori said catching their attention.

Ren and Kyoko pulled apart, both flushed. Ren had forgotten the president was there. He'd been so entranced by Kyoko's presence.

"Um, right," he managed to say. "Kyoko," he looked at her blushing face and struggled to not pull her into another kiss, "I would like you to meet my parents." Her eye went wide and the blush disappeared from her cheeks as she stared at him.

"Aren't they in America?" She asked him.

"Yes, but the president has them on video conference." Sebastian signaled that they were ready. He would speak to his parents properly for the first time and introduce to them the woman he loved.

"Kyoko, before we go in there, I should tell you something. I haven't spoken to my mother since I left America and only briefly to my father. It might be a bit confusing initially." He said trying to prepare her. Ren wasn't sure what the president had told his parents about this video call. _Do they have any idea what this call is about? Only one way to find out._

* * *

_Meet his parents?! Isn't this a bit sudden?! _Kyoko thought to herself as she stepped into the room where the video call was supposed to happen. She was not prepared for this! But at the same time she felt fear, she also felt excitement to get to know Ren's/Corn's parents. _What do I call him? _She vaguely wondered before she heard a familiar voice.

"Kuon!It's…It's so good to see you!" Kyoko saw Kuu Hizuri on the screen looking at Ren and tearing up. There was a woman next to him. The most beautiful woman Kyoko had ever seen. She was completely crying, couldn't even say anything. If Kyoko had been crying that hard, she would look like a mess. But this woman managed to cry gracefully.

"Wait…Kuon…" The final piece of the puzzle clicked in Kyoko's head. She remembered Kuu saying his son's name was Kuon, and she had initially heard it as Corn. "Corn…is Kuon?" She looked up at Ren.

Ren looked at her and nodded. He had led her into the room while holding hands and he squeezed her hand now. "Kyoko Mogami, I would like you to meet my parents Kuu and Julie. Although, Kuu is your parent too." Ren said grinning with his head cocked to the side.

Kyoko stared at the screen with her jaw dropped. Kuu was Ren's dad. _I thought Kuon was dead? Oh, whatever! _Kuu was staring at her. Initially, his face showed shock but then it slid into his big fatherly grin. The woman next to him, Julie, stared at her intently evaluating her. She felt unworthy to be studied so intently by a woman so beautiful.

"Ah, nice to meet you," Kyoko said with a bow.

"Don't be so formal, my child," Kuu said to her through the screen. "Now what brings my two children to this conversation?" He asked while eyeing their holding hands.

"Mother, father," Ren stated, "I wanted to officially introduce you to my girlfriend." He pulled her to him and wrapped his arm around her waist.

The beautiful woman on the screen smiled broadly. "It is so wonderful to meet you, Kyoko-chan. Kuu," she turned towards her husband, "Is this the child you said is the other son you made while in Japan?"

Kuu beamed down at his wife, "She is indeed. I never would have guessed you two would have this kind of relationship." He said looking back to the young couple. "Although, it makes sense. So this is why if I bullied her you would come at me?"

Kyoko didn't see the glare Ren shot at the president. "Is that why you were so cruel when we first met? You were trying to get to Ren? How would that help you get to him?"

Kuu looked at her apologetically. "The boss told me that if I picked on you, you would tell Kuon, and I would get to see him. I couldn't stick to it though," he sighed. "Even so, you were the secret to getting my son to seek me out."

Kyoko's cheeks flushed as she remembered introducing Ren to her "father" as she pretended to be young Kuon…a young Ren. "I made such a fool of myself," she said as she covered her hand with her mouth.

She felt Ren's grip on her waist tighten. "I was shocked to see a mini version of me in you at the time, but the memory is quite endearing now," Ren spoke into her ear. Kyoko's body froze at the seductiveness in his voice.

"Kuon," his mother said, "don't be such an animal that you seduce her in front of us. I raised you better than to embarrass a woman so."

* * *

That was Julie all right. Both of Kuon's parents were overly devoted to him. He loved them dearly for their devotion. But his mother had a quick tongue. He could never pull any tricks in her presence.

He straightened himself so that he wasn't bent, speaking into Kyoko's ear. "Yes, mother," he said to her with a playful grin.

"Kyoko-chan," his mother was addressing Kyoko now. "You must come to visit us and bring that son of ours along with you. I would so love to meet you in person, and I would love to wrap you both in a hug."

Kuon loved the idea of seeing his mother in real life. As it was, this was as close as he'd gotten to seeing her in five years. But he couldn't go to her yet.

"Kyoko, I can't go see my parents yet." She looked up at him confused, and he saw the pain flash across his mother's face and the understanding in the face of his father. "I can't see them until I go to America with my own power as an actor. I want to make my own name in Hollywood. I can't do that if I don't stand apart from my parents until then." He loved his parents dearly, but he needed to do this for himself.

Kyoko nodded. "I understand, then I'll wait to visit them too." She turned back towards the screen to address his parents and bowed. "My apologies, I cannot come to visit yet. I will wait for Ren…Kuon to be ready. In the meantime, I'll take care of him in your place. Especially, I'll make sure he eats his meals."

A snort escaped Lori from behind Ren. _Of course, he's entertained with her saying that. _Ren stepped forward and joined Kyoko in bowing. "Mother, father, I appreciate everything you've done for me and love you dearly. Please wait a little longer for me to come home."

"Kuon," Kuu's voice was soft, "we'll be here whenever you're ready to come back, no matter how long it takes. And of course, Kyoko is always welcome. But it seems, for now, we should end the call here."

"What?!" Julie sat up in her seat. "We've only just begun talking! Is this all we get?!" She was distraught. Kuon knew she had missed him immensely but his father was right.

"It's not yet time for us to have our son fully back, Julie. He's shared his important news with us. Now it's time for him to go back to being Ren." Kuu looked down at him.

"Yes," Kuon said. "It is time for us to go. I promise I will return home mother and greet you properly."

"Alright, Kuon," she responded. "We await your return."

"Kyoko," Kuu said, "I can't wait to see the actress you'll be when you come to visit us with Kuon." He was looking down at her expectantly.

Kyoko looked up at him with a mischievousness grin, "Of course, father," she said. "I'll make you proud."

With that, the call cut out and the screen went black. He'd done it. He'd managed to convince Kyoko that he wasn't a fairy and told her the whole truth.

"Wait a second," she said behind him. "If Kuu is your father, then HE is the fairy king?!" Her eyes were bulging as she looked up at him.

"Um, he is the one you thought of as a fairy king, yes, but he's not a real fairy king…remember…?" He was a little concerned. He had convinced her that he wasn't a fairy, right?

"But still! If anyone could pull of being a fairy king it's Father! He's so perfect for the role!" Ren could hear Lori laughing in hysterics behind him. _Well, he has been holding it in this whole time. I shouldn't be surprised he's finally laughing._

"And if he's a fairy king, then does that make me a fairy princess?!" Her eyes were shining as she traveled into la la land. "Or wait, am I a fairy prince since he calls me his son instead of his daughter?" She was completely lost in the fantasy now. She started muttering to herself, and he couldn't distinguish her words anymore.

He sighed and bent down to kiss her. She fell silent and responded to his kiss. After a few moments, he pulled away. He had her attention now. "You do remember that we're not real fairies, right?"

"Of course, but it's still fun to think about…Kuon." Shock flooded his body at the sound of her calling him by his birth name. Not Ren. Not Corn. But Kuon. Following the shock was warmth and then relief. He didn't realize it would be this good to hear her call him by his real name. For the first time since he was a child, he felt whole. Not fractured. Not a fake wearing a mask. But whole and at home.

He wrapped her in his arms, lifting her, and kissed her trying to convey the feeling of wholeness that she gave him.

* * *

Lori slipped out of the room. They needed their privacy, and he wanted to muse about young love. _Love stories are the best. Especially when they involve two of my favorite people and have a happy ending. _He lit his pipe and relaxed into his seat anticipating the happy event of Kuon finally being where he belongs. And someday, he'll see and embrace his parents once again with the woman he loves by his side.

* * *

The end. Finally! It took a lot more writing to finish this story than I thought it would. I hope you've enjoyed it. I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on it.

I have another story in the works. I told myself I wasn't allowed to publish it until I finished this one. I already have the first chapter written. But since I've had to wait so long to publish it, I've come up with extra ideas for it. I'm going to tweak it some before publishing. I hope you like it as much as you've enjoyed this one!


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